Bruce KrausNPR Digital Services RSS Generator 0.94NPR Digital Services RSS Generator 0.94Bruce KrausWed, 07 Dec 2016 07:14:04 +0000Bruce Kraushttp://wesa.fm
Katie BlackleyPittsburgh could become the first municipality in the state to ban conversion therapy for minors who are gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender. City Council introduced legislation Tuesday that would prevent parents and guardians from forcing youth to undergo the practice. The practice is meant to change the sexual orientation or gender identity of the individual undergoing the treatment. Types of conversion therapy could include aversive techniques like electroshock treatment and the administration of nausea-inducing drugs. Patients can also be subjected to hormonal treatments and spiritual or religious interventions. Council President Bruce Kraus and Councilman Dan Gilman are sponsoring the legislation. Kraus, who is the first openly gay councilmember, said he’s “alarmed and troubled” by anyone who forces children into this kind of reparative therapy. “The very soul of a human being is formed at the earliest stages of life,” Kraus said. “This damning and damaging rhetoric of gay,Pittsburgh Proposes The State's First Conversion Therapy Ban http://wesa.fm/post/pittsburgh-proposes-states-first-conversion-therapy-ban
74374 as http://wesa.fmWed, 30 Nov 2016 19:52:52 +0000Pittsburgh Proposes The State's First Conversion Therapy Ban Noah Brode Pittsburgh City Council members heard testimony from local residents Tuesday on a bill that would ban the use of exotic animals in performances within city limits. Ron Gongaware, 57, of White Oak is a member of the local Syria Shriners group based in Cheswick. He said the legislation would effectively end his organization’s Shrine Circus, which has been raising money locally for free children’s hospital services since about 1950. “And that circus is our biggest fundraiser we have, so the ban of those exotic animals would be a tragedy for us,” Gongaware said. The Shriners raise money to provide free medical services at 22 hospitals in the U.S., Canada and Mexico. The nearest to Pittsburgh are in Erie, Philadelphia and Cincinnati. Council President and legislation sponsor Bruce Kraus said the move towards banning live performances by exotic animals is part of a larger pattern across the country. “When SeaWorld retired the orca, it made not just national news, but international news.Speakers Cry Foul On Bill To Ban Exotic Animal Shows In Pittsburghhttp://wesa.fm/post/speakers-cry-foul-bill-ban-exotic-animal-shows-pittsburgh
65841 as http://wesa.fmTue, 24 May 2016 20:57:58 +0000Speakers Cry Foul On Bill To Ban Exotic Animal Shows In PittsburghNoah BrodeCity officials hope to address perennial traffic problems caused by St. Patrick’s Day revelry on Pittsburgh’s South Side, by introducing special rules for drivers and partiers this weekend. City Council President Bruce Kraus, who represents the neighborhood, announced several temporary changes for Saturday's bash. Those changes include free parking just across the Monongahela River, parking restrictions along East Carson Street, a ride-share zone on the street’s 1700 block and a free circulator bus. The rules take effect 7 a.m. Saturday and end Sunday at noon. Kraus said he expects most people to arrive on the South Side in the early afternoon Saturday, after the conclusion of the 10 a.m. parade downtown. (Here's what to know before heading downtown). “We want you to come out and enjoy the day, but we also want to provide you a responsible way to transport during that process,” Kraus said. Pittsburgh Police Lt. Ed Cunningham said the ride-share space in the slopes of Carson Street’sWhat To Know Before Partying On The South Side This St. Paddy's Day http://wesa.fm/post/what-know-partying-south-side-st-paddys-day
62314 as http://wesa.fmWed, 09 Mar 2016 21:39:05 +0000What To Know Before Partying On The South Side This St. Paddy's Day Essential PittsburghShould money collected from parking meters after 6 p.m. in some of the city's entertainment areas be reinvested in those areas? Should citizens even be required to pay for parking at night. Well, it's being considered by the Pittsburgh City Council. Joining us to address this issue is council president Bruce Kraus. Evaluating How To Invest Night Parking Revenue In Pittsburgh's Entertainment Areashttp://wesa.fm/post/evaluating-how-invest-night-parking-revenue-pittsburghs-entertainment-areas
60998 as http://wesa.fmThu, 11 Feb 2016 07:00:00 +0000Evaluating How To Invest Night Parking Revenue In Pittsburgh's Entertainment AreasA committee tasked by city council to look at wages of Pittsburgh's hospital service workers recommended they get a $15 minimum wage during a post-agenda meeting on Tuesday. City Council Committee Recommends Hospitals Enact $15 Minimum Wage http://wesa.fm/post/city-council-committee-recommends-hospitals-enact-15-minimum-wage
59947 as http://wesa.fmWed, 20 Jan 2016 12:47:25 +0000City Council Committee Recommends Hospitals Enact $15 Minimum Wage Liz ReidThis is the second in a three-part web series looking ahead to 2016 with members of Pittsburgh City Council. Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto has promised a culture change at the Bureau of Police, and Cameron McLay is the man he has tapped to lead that change. 2016 City Council Preview: Harris, Burgess And Kraus On Public Safety And Community Confidencehttp://wesa.fm/post/2016-city-council-preview-harris-burgess-and-kraus-public-safety-and-community-confidence
58841 as http://wesa.fmMon, 28 Dec 2015 10:23:00 +00002016 City Council Preview: Harris, Burgess And Kraus On Public Safety And Community ConfidenceAnthony Priore If you're headed out for a night on the South Side, you could find yourself having to pay for parking past 6 p.m. City officials are planning on eventually enforcing parking meters through midnight. They haven't said when the change would take effect, but hope to start enforcing it in the coming months. This comes as part of the new initiative developed by Mayor Bill Peduto, City Council President Bruce Kraus and Nighttime Economy Coordinator Allison Harden to ensure a safer business district on East Carson Street in the South Side. The extra money made from parking revenue will go toward police efforts on the South Side, as well as cleanup and transportation needs. “Being that this is un-sequestered new revenue that has not been allocated, we are going to legislate through council with the assistance of the mayor’s office and his team that the allocation of those funds to be used specifically for policing efforts,” said Kraus. Kraus believes the increase in officers will act as aOfficials Plan To Extend South Side Meter Enforcement As Part Of Pilot Programhttp://wesa.fm/post/officials-plan-extend-south-side-meter-enforcement-part-pilot-program
57060 as http://wesa.fmMon, 16 Nov 2015 23:05:02 +0000Officials Plan To Extend South Side Meter Enforcement As Part Of Pilot ProgramLiz ReidPittsburgh City Council on Wednesday gave preliminary approval to a package of bills that primary sponsor Councilman Dan Gilman said will improve ethics and transparency in city government and municipal elections. Ethics And Campaign Finance Proposals Move Forward In Pittsburgh City Councilhttp://wesa.fm/post/ethics-and-campaign-finance-proposals-move-forward-pittsburgh-city-council
55431 as http://wesa.fmThu, 15 Oct 2015 08:55:00 +0000Ethics And Campaign Finance Proposals Move Forward In Pittsburgh City CouncilEmma GrossPittsburgh officers rolling past loud parties and unauthorized construction will be able to cite residents' complaints as part of a new three-strike system with the city's disruption ordinance. In a preliminary vote, Pittsburgh City Council gave unanimous approval Wednesday to legislation aiming to better regulate the city’s noise control that replaces old language and better defines residential noise violations as any “sound that annoys or disturbs a reasonable person of normal sensitivities.”City Council Supports Updates To Noise Control Ordinancehttp://wesa.fm/post/city-council-supports-updates-noise-control-ordinance
51692 as http://wesa.fmWed, 29 Jul 2015 21:41:48 +0000City Council Supports Updates To Noise Control OrdinanceDeanna GarciaIggy Azalea canceled her headlining act at Pittsburgh Pride on Sunday. The rapper wrote on Twitter, "This has been a difficult decision... however I feel my participation at this point would only serve to further distract from the true purpose of the event."Bigger Than Iggy Azalea: Roots Pride Says Inclusiveness Still An Issue With Pittsburgh Pridehttp://wesa.fm/post/bigger-iggy-azalea-roots-pride-says-inclusiveness-still-issue-pittsburgh-pride
49186 as http://wesa.fmTue, 09 Jun 2015 20:30:00 +0000Bigger Than Iggy Azalea: Roots Pride Says Inclusiveness Still An Issue With Pittsburgh PrideMichael LynchPittsburgh City Council again delayed action on a bill Wednesday that would create a rental property registry. “We did hold the bill for two more weeks while we continue to collaborate and work through some of the issues of the bill,” City Council President Bruce Kraus said. As it stands, the bill requires landlords to submit all available forms of contact information, allowing the city to keep a close eye on problem properties. Owners could face a $500 penalty if they fail to submit their name, address, phone number and email address. Kraus, who motioned to hold the bill, said landlords are business owners and need the proper licensing. “We require business licenses for almost every business that operates in the city,” he said. “Rental business is not any different. It is a business, and I don’t see a drawback in licensing that business.” The bill, which was introduced in November, also requires property owners to pay a yearly $65 per-unit fee. But, according to the 65 people whoCity Council Delays Landlord Registry Billhttp://wesa.fm/post/city-council-delays-landlord-registry-bill
41839 as http://wesa.fmWed, 14 Jan 2015 21:17:44 +0000City Council Delays Landlord Registry BillLiz ReidThis is the second in a three-part series looking ahead to the 2015 priorities with members of Pittsburgh City Council. Find part one here.2015 City Council Preview: Gilman, Kraus, Harrishttp://wesa.fm/post/2015-city-council-preview-gilman-kraus-harris
40827 as http://wesa.fmThu, 25 Dec 2014 08:30:00 +00002015 City Council Preview: Gilman, Kraus, HarrisLiz ReidPittsburgh City Council on Monday introduced four bills related to 2015 property taxes, one of which would raise the tax rate by 0.5 mills to 8.06 mills. That means the city will collect an additional 50 cents for every $1,000 a piece of real estate is worth. “For a home worth $100,000, it’s about $40/year,” said Kevin Acklin, chief of staff to Mayor Bill Peduto. If that math seems off, it’s because of the Homestead Exemption program, which allows homeowners to reduce the taxable value of their home by $15,000. A $100,000 home would be taxed as if it was worth $85,000, resulting in each mill of taxation actually bringing 85 cents, rather than one dollar, into the city. “We think it’s something, and we hope that Council will agree with us, that is necessary to restore that income stream to the city that was cut in the past,” Acklin said. Acklin is referring to the decrease in the rate under former Mayor Luke Ravenstahl, from 10.81 mills to 7.56 mills. The 2013 cut was meant to bePittsburgh City Council Introduces Property Tax Hike Billhttp://wesa.fm/post/pittsburgh-city-council-introduces-property-tax-hike-bill
39330 as http://wesa.fmMon, 24 Nov 2014 21:42:39 +0000Pittsburgh City Council Introduces Property Tax Hike BillLiz ReidIt’s been a year since the city of Pittsburgh took the responsibility of scheduling secondary police details, like working security at community festivals, out of the hands of the Bureau of Police and gave it to North Carolina-based Cover Your Assets, LLC. Despite what Public Safety Director Stephen Bucar called “some gaffes” in scheduling, City Council Wednesday gave preliminary approval to renewal of that contract for another year. Bucar said there were instances when events that were supposed to be staffed were not, but he didn’t place blame for those problems on the company, saying it was due to lapses in communication and lack of proper protocol. “Quite often we became aware of the events being unstaffed right when the events started, and that was a problem, so we put some processes … and personnel in place to manage that,” Bucar said. City Councilman Dan Gilman said some of the problems with the new scheduling procedures eroded his confidence in the system, and that had the billDespite 'Gaffes,' City To Renew Contract For Outsourcing Of Secondary Police Employmenthttp://wesa.fm/post/despite-gaffes-city-renew-contract-outsourcing-secondary-police-employment
37967 as http://wesa.fmWed, 29 Oct 2014 20:45:42 +0000Despite 'Gaffes,' City To Renew Contract For Outsourcing Of Secondary Police EmploymentLiz ReidPittsburgh City Councilman Dan Gilman said it’s been nearly a decade since he first drafted legislation for then-Councilman Bill Peduto that would allow the city to auction off unneeded assets online. That idea is finally seeing the light of day as a similar bill received preliminary approval in council’s committee meeting Wednesday. A final vote is scheduled for next week. Grants Officer Brandon Forbes was on hand to answer questions from City Council about the plan, which would end the practice of selling old vehicles and other large assets once a year at an auction. “This bill is to enter into an agreement with (GovDeals.com) for a year to see if we can create a larger amount of revenue by selling these assets online as opposed to once annually in person,” Forbes said. He said those auctions in the past garnered only a handful of bidders, but that online auctions through GovDeals.com will open up the bidding internationally. The company takes a 5 percent fee from each sale. GilmanFrom Street Signs to Vehicles, Pittsburgh to Auction Old Assets Onlinehttp://wesa.fm/post/street-signs-vehicles-pittsburgh-auction-old-assets-online
35284 as http://wesa.fmThu, 04 Sep 2014 11:55:38 +0000From Street Signs to Vehicles, Pittsburgh to Auction Old Assets OnlineLiz ReidPittsburgh City Council took preliminary steps Wednesday to add gender identity and expression as an explicitly protected class with regard to housing, employment and public accommodation. Council President Bruce Kraus sponsored the legislation and said the issue was brought to his attention by Jason Goodman, executive director of the Pennsylvania Student Equality Coalition, or PSEC. “I was very surprised to learn that while the spirit of our code always referenced protection for gender identity and expression, it was exactly that, it was spirit … not actual verbiage,” Kraus said. Kraus’s chief of staff, Kevin Kerr, said transgender people and others who do not adhere to the gender binary are technically protected under current municipal code, but that the protection was buried in the definition of ‘sex’ used in the non-discrimination policy. “When you see the non-discrimination act publicized in the workplace, gender identity and expression is not clearly stated on that,” Kerr said. City Council Preliminarily Approves Adding Gender Identity as a Protected Classhttp://wesa.fm/post/city-council-preliminarily-approves-adding-gender-identity-protected-class
33098 as http://wesa.fmWed, 23 Jul 2014 19:29:50 +0000City Council Preliminarily Approves Adding Gender Identity as a Protected ClassLiz Reid Peduto's 100 Days: Wednesday marks Mayor Bill Peduto’s 100th day in office, so we’re introducing an occasional series looking at the new administration’s progress toward promises made by candidate Peduto. * * * When Mayor Bill Peduto was a City Councilman representing District 8, he went back to school to get a master’s degree in public policy and management. David Miller was one of Peduto’s professors at the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs at the University of Pittsburgh. He’s also the director of Pitt’s Center for Metropolitan Studies, and was the city’s director of management and budget under Mayor Tom Murphy. “There’s a great quote from Dick Thornburgh, who used to be the governor of the commonwealth,” Miller said. “He said, ‘You campaign in poetry, and you govern in prose.’” After 100 days in office, Peduto’s transition from poetry to prose is ripe for analysis. “I would have to say if you compared 100 days in to prior administrations, I think this one hasFor Peduto, Better Government Means Open Governmenthttp://wesa.fm/post/peduto-better-government-means-open-government
27616 as http://wesa.fmWed, 16 Apr 2014 11:27:48 +0000For Peduto, Better Government Means Open GovernmentLiz ReidAfter three months of community meetings, disagreements, and compromises, Pittsburgh City Council passed Councilwoman Deb Gross’s land bank legislation Monday morning. Councilmen Ricky Burgess and Daniel Lavelle have had the greatest concerns about the land bank proposal, but both voted in favor of the legislation. Burgess has consistently pointed out that his and Lavelle’s districts are home to the greatest number of land bank eligible properties, and both were in favor of maintaining council and community oversight of the process. “Any land bank legislation has to provide community protection, community participation and community benefits,” Burgess said after the vote. “The bill that we passed does the three things I have advocated for.” Burgess and Lavelle, along with Councilwoman Theresa Kail-Smith, favored amendments that put three community members on the land bank board and instituted council oversight for all sales for at least two years. “I don’t see any council memberLand Bank Legislation Passes in Pittsburgh City Councilhttp://wesa.fm/post/land-bank-legislation-passes-pittsburgh-city-council
27555 as http://wesa.fmTue, 15 Apr 2014 11:50:51 +0000Land Bank Legislation Passes in Pittsburgh City CouncilLiz ReidPittsburgher Dan Burda’s partner of eight years, Rohn, passed away from a heart attack this year. Like many families of the recently deceased, Burda and his loved ones wanted to donate Rohn’s skin, tissue and organs to someone who needed them. But they were not allowed to do that because of a long-standing FDA ban on such donations from any man who has had sex with a man. Gay and bisexual men are also banned from donating blood, something that Pittsburgh City Council President Bruce Kraus discovered on September 11, 2001. He said he was looking for some way to help, and that giving blood seemed like the best option for him. “When I got there, I was turned away,” Kraus said. “I was shocked that I was turned away because I’d answered a questionnaire that said had I ever had sex with a man before? Of course, I was honest in my response and said that I did.” City Council Monday unanimously passed a Will of Council resolution urging Congress to repeal such a ban on blood, organ, and tissuePittsburgh City Council Says Ban On Blood Donations From Gay Men Is Discriminatoryhttp://wesa.fm/post/pittsburgh-city-council-says-ban-blood-donations-gay-men-discriminatory
27549 as http://wesa.fmMon, 14 Apr 2014 18:51:45 +0000Pittsburgh City Council Says Ban On Blood Donations From Gay Men Is DiscriminatoryLiz ReidAccording to City Council President Bruce Kraus, between 15,000 and 20,000 people stream out of South Side bars, venues and pubs around 2 a.m. every Friday and Saturday night. That creates public safety problems and significant transportation issues, Kraus said, which is why for the last two years he’s been working with the Responsible Hospitality Institute, or RHI, to find ways to manage the nightlife economy in the city. “How are you going to create a nighttime economy that’s vibrant and safe and that accommodates people coexisting in residential and commercial districts where you might have disturbances from late night activity, or you might have an increased rate of crime associated with alcohol?” asked Jim Peters, president of RHI. Over the last two years, RHI has worked with dozens of stakeholders across Pittsburgh to answer that question. Partners in the project have included restaurant and bar associations, chambers of commerce, universities, cultural organizations, and publicCity to Implement Nighttime Transportation Solutions Along Carson Streethttp://wesa.fm/post/city-implement-nighttime-transportation-solutions-along-carson-street
24664 as http://wesa.fmWed, 19 Feb 2014 20:17:14 +0000City to Implement Nighttime Transportation Solutions Along Carson Street